Judge Peter J. Messitte's ruling emphasized that the university's actions were 'neither viewpoint- nor content-neutral' and were driven by 'fear of disruption, and anger of opponents', which are not valid reasons under the Constitution.
The UMD chapter of SJP celebrated the ruling as a 'historic victory,' stating, 'We refuse to remain silent about war crimes going on across the globe' and reaffirming their commitment to their message.
Gadeir Abbas from CAIR highlighted the significance of the ruling, asserting, 'If the First Amendment didn't protect students who seek to mourn a genocide and educate the public about it, then it's meaningless,' urging other universities to reconsider their policies.
As part of the court's ruling, UMD was instructed to allow the SJP to hold their vigil but maintain the right to enhance campus security and implement crowd-control measures.
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